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“Society of the Snow,” “Napoleon,” The Zone of Interest,” “Wonka,” “20 Days in Mariupol,” “Beyond Utopia,” and “The Teachers’ Lounge” Reviews

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My 2023 watchlist is wrapping up quite soon, only have a few more movies to watch until I can finalize my top 10. Here we go!

Society of the Snow

This one was definitely a tough watch. What these passengers abord a Uruguayan flight had to endure was nothing short of horrifying. I remember watching this a few days before having to fly myself, and it definitely gave me some anxiety. I appreciated JA Bayona’s approach to the dark and traumatic bits, because an American director definitely would have sensationalized it. This is easily one of, if not the best man vs. nature films I’ve seen. My main issues were with the pacing and figuring out who each of the characters were. There were so many of them, and it was a little difficult to keep track of who was who. I wonder if this would have benefitted from being a miniseries, maybe 3-4 episodes or something. Regardless, it was gripping and pretty much solidifies the fact that nature never loses.

Grade: B/79

Napoleon

I had high expectations for this film since Ridley Scott gave us The Last Duel back in 2021. Boy, was this one disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, Scott delivers on the goods when it comes to the production, costume design, and epic action sequences. It’s the spaces inbetween where we learn about Napoleon and his wife Josephine, played by Vanessa Kirby that were quite a letdown. A lot has been said about how historically inaccurate this film is, and while I’m sure it would have benefitted from being a bit more accurate, I don’t think it would’ve been a make or break factor. The pacing was a bit all over the place, as it jumped from milestone to milestone in Napoleon’s storied career. I think it would have been better if the film was similar in structure to Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs, focusing on three pivotal points in his career.

While I very much love Joaquin Phoenix, I think his performance was kind of sleepy here. The writing also didn’t help. Ridley Scott’s decision to frame Napoleon as a petulant child was certainly a decision, and I donno how well it worked. While it’s not a bad movie, it’s ultimately a shame because there was so much potential for this to be an excellent film. I know there’s rumblings of a 4-hour directors cut, but I don’t know if even that could save this movie from being a weirdly written, paced, and acted film. The battle on the ice was freakin’ money though.

Grade: B-/74

The Zone of Interest

One of the most horrifying films of the year. While I was not a fan at all of Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin, I think his directorial style greatly benefitted The Zone of Interest, one of the most harrowing films made about the Holocaust. I’m glad this film got nominated for Best Sound because I cannot stress how much the sound in this film completely changes everything. So much of the film is not about what you see, but what you hear that leaves you terrified. The last 15 minutes of this film are seared into my brain forever and some of the most brilliant filmmaking I’ve ever seen.

Grade: A-/86

Wonka

While I do love me some Timothee Chalamet, I couldn’t care less about Willy Wonka. I saw the original film many times as a kid, and thought it was fine, but I really had no affinity for it. The only reason I was interesting in this film was because it was directed by the guy who did the Paddington movies, and Chalamet. While I wouldn’t say it’s on the same level as Paddington, it’s a wonderful and charming film. Unfortunately, I found most of the songs to be kind of mediocre (except for the opening song, Hatful of Dreams). Chalamet however, has a surprisingly fantastic voice and he does his best to elevate the songs.

The film absolutely has the signature Paul King charm, but so much so that it’s hard to believe that this film is a prequel to the original film. Chalamet’s Wonka is pretty much a human Paddington Bear, but Gene Wilder’s Wonka is borderline psychotic that enjoys torturing naughty kids. You don’t get any hint of that in Wonka. It’s better to view this film as a standalone entry as opposed to a prequel in my opinion. I probably would have loved this film if the songs were a bit better, but seeing as how I didn’t really have too high of expectations, I’ll take what I can get.

Grade: B/80

20 Days in Mariupol

This was probably the most depressing documentary I’ve ever seen. War is horrifying and no one truly comes out a winner. When earth-shifting decisions are made by the few, we see the ugliness of humanity in documentaries such as this. It’s sad that the war in Ukraine doesn’t seem to have an end in sight, but I’m glad that this documentary was released for the world to see. While the documentary might not have as much “production value” as others, that’s not the point at all. It’s a tough watch that should be seen by everyone so that we can learn not to make the same mistakes.

Grade: B+/81

Beyond Utopia

Another really depressing documentary. North Koreans living under such an oppressive regime is truly heartbreaking. This documentary tells the story of a few families trying to escape North Korea, with a help of a South Korean Pastor. It’s honestly baffling that countries like North Korea exist in our world, as their people are truly living in a dystopian society. Watching this really made me reflect on how thankful I should be for the life I have.

Grade: B+/81

The Teachers’ Lounge

I had no idea that this film existed until the Oscar nominations were announced, and this film was nominated over a few more popular entries (Looking at you, The Taste of Things). I watched this film with no expectations and holy moly, this was one of the most stressful films of the year. As someone who has a brother that’s a middle school teacher, watching this gave me secondhand PTSD. Leonie Benesch gives a wonderful performance as a living saint of a teacher who takes matters into her own hands when the school fails her. This film was Uncut Gems levels of stress, except unlike that film, everything is paced in a much more cohesive and believable manner. Few thrillers in 2023 have lived up to the tension and suspense that The Teachers’ Lounge delivered. Future teachers, be warned if you watch this film, you may consider a career change.

Grade: B+/82

“Killers of the Flower Moon,” “A Thousand and One,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Killer,” and “The Holdovers” Reviews

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Well, well, well. Out of all the years I’ve been blogging, this may be my best string of movies yet. I can’t remember the last time I saw this many movies I loved in a row. Let’s begin.

Killers of the Flower Moon

It’s kind of crazy that Scorsese is 81 years old now, and he’s capable of making films as great as KOTFM. Like, am I even going to be alive at the age of 81? Based on my eating habits, probably not. Still, Scorsese hasn’t missed a step and his follow-up to the masterful The Irishman is almost as good. It’s very easy at this point in their careers to take the cinematic trio of titans in DiCaprio, De Niro, and Scorsese for granted, but these are some of their career finest. I know DiCaprio sometimes gets flak for playing the same kind of character in all his movies, but this certainly one of his most vulnerable roles. It’s refreshing for him to play a sort of oafish character, which is a great contrast to the magnetic, gentle spirit in Lily Gladstone. I’m sure as awards season ramps up, she will be one of the central figures in all of the best actress conversations. She is the real deal here.

I think sometimes it’s easy for me to forget that “good acting” does not always translate to dramatic emoting. There is power in the quiet, and Gladstone’s performance as Mollie Burkhart is one of the greatest examples of that. She conveys more emotion with just her eyes than some actors do with everything they’ve got, and it’s a big testament to her talent. I thought this was her first movie since I’ve never heard of her prior to this, but seeing as how she’s been in a lot of stuff, hopefully this film puts her on the map and gets her bigger roles, because she deserves it. Also, quick shoutout to Jesse Plemons! This is definitely my favorite performance of his so far.

Much has been said about KOTFM’s 3.5 hour runtime and yes, it can be difficult to sit through a film that long. I have a pretty small bladder so when I watch films like this, I need to stop drinking any fluids 3-4 hours beforehand to ensure I don’t miss a thing. Could this have been condensed into a shorter movie without compromising its story and message? Perhaps. On the other hand, I don’t think any part of KOTFM felt unnecessary. Seeing the character development over the long runtime was both rewarding and intriguing. I wouldn’t fault anyone who had a hard time going through it all in one sitting, though. I’m generally a fan of long epics, but I’m guessing the majority of moviegoers wouldn’t feel the same way, for good reason.

Killers of the Flower Moon tells a powerful story about an abused and exploited group of people that is important for everyone, but especially Americans to know about. Unfortunately, much of our country’s “success” was built on top of the skeletons of its dark deeds from the past, and even now the Osage people are still being marginalized. I know films with buzzworthy political messages have been in for the past decade, but when a story is told with as much care as Scorsese has treated KOTFM, it’s worth paying attention to. Definitely one of the best films of the year, and proof that Marty is one of the best directors out there.

Grade: A-/89

A Thousand and One

Probably the most surprising film of the year for me. I hadn’t heard much about this film other than it winning the top prize at Sundance, but none of my friends had seen it so I figured why not check it out. I loved this. There was so much room for this film to tell the same old story that we’ve seen time and time again, but writer/director A.V. Rockwell’s work is utterly refreshing and kept me guessing throughout. Teyana Taylor’s performance also completely elevates the film and is sublime in the role of Inez, a woman who just wants to care for her son, even if the rest of the world tries their best not to let her do so.

There were so many times I thought this movie was going to go down a certain path because of how familiar it felt, but I just kept getting surprised each time. Life is unpredictable, and I think A Thousand and One captures that brilliantly. I’m not sure if this film will have enough traction to make any noise come awards season, but it deserves to be up there as one of the finest dramas to come out in 2023.

Grade: B+/83

Anatomy of a Fall

The more I think about this movie, the more I love it. Courtroom dramas are getting considerably harder for me to truly love, because it’s hard to break ground in a genre that’s had so many similar stories come before it. Anatomy of a Fall makes all the right choices in not only giving us fascinating look into the French legal system (unfamiliar to an ignorant American such as I), but also making the heart of the film a story about how a death that shocks the nation can disrupt the family dynamics of those affected.

Sandra Hüller is sooo good here. Her performance on its own is already one of the best of the year, but the fact that she did it in three languages (French, German, English) makes it so much more impressive. As someone who is barely bilingual with a very elementary level of Mandarin, I’ve never felt so seen in Hüller’s performance when she finds difficulty speaking about complex ideas in a language outside of her native tongue. The language barrier in the story adds a whole other level of complexity to the already-riveting legal drama, something that is probably not as commonplace compared to if this was an American film.

One thing I never thought I’d mention in a review is that this film contains what is possibly the best dog performance of all time. There’s a particular scene in the third act that left me in awe. I seriously have no idea how they got the dog to do what it did. If that doesn’t pique your interest, then nothing else will.

Even though France submitted The Taste of Things (a film I’m very excited to see) as their entry for the best French feature over Anatomy of a Fall, I really hope that people will see this movie. It’s truly riveting from start to finish. Easily some of the best performances of the year bolstered by a unique premise that will have people discussing the ending for a long time.

Grade: A-/87

The Killer

David Fincher has been a part of two of the most heartbreaking cancellations of all time for me: the commercial flop of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the abrupt end of Mindhunter. Those are two of the best things that Fincher’s worked on, and both were cruelly axed before we could see a proper ending for either stories.

While I enjoyed Mank for what it was, it was completely inaccessible for most moviegoers and definitely one of Fincher’s most Oscar-baity films, probably just behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Because Mindhunter essentially died so that he could make Mank, I was kind of down on Fincher for a few years. However, The Killer is a fine return to form, and also a welcome return for Michael Fassbender, who graciously took a break from his racing career to grace us with his handsome face again after all these years.

I loved how simple The Killer was. In a year with numerous sprawling three-hour epics, it was nice to unwind with a film like this where you can just take in the beautiful visuals and vibes from an auteur director such as Fincher. Fassbender hasn’t lost a step either, as his portrayal of the killer is fantastic. This film is very reminiscent of Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï, a film that I deeply love. While I still think Le Samouraï is better, there’s an unmistakable swagger and flair to The Killer that just cannot be ignored. Also, this film has surprisingly one of the best fight scenes of the year. It got me thinking how often Fincher has done fight proper choreographed fight scenes, so not including a bunch of amateur brawl scenes like in Fight Club. The one in this movie reminded me of the bathroom fight scenes in Mission Impossible: Fallout and The Raid 2. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s soundtrack is also great here, adding yet another entry to the beautiful collaboration between them and Fincher. It’s a shame that Netflix doesn’t emulate the other streaming platforms and give their feature films an extended theatrical run, because this would have been so much better to see in theaters than on my TV at home. Regardless, it’s a win for both Fincher and Fassbender fans. Welcome back.

Grade: B+/83

The Holdovers

Alexander Payne is the king of dysfunctional family dramedies. From The Descendants to Nebraska, this guy is able to make a bunch of misfits so charming and likable. The Holdovers is no exception here. It’s akin to a fuzzy, warm hug that echoes some of John Hughes’s best works. I’ve always liked Paul Giamatti but was never a massive fan, but this is definitely his best performance and one of my favorites of the year. Also, what a freakin’ debut from first-timer Dominic Sessa! I can’t believe this is his first movie. He was fantastic, and I’m so excited to see his career blossom after this.

While The Holdovers may not be as unique or groundbreaking in its genre like some of the other films I’ve listed above, it’s done so well that it really does not need to be. The performances, the writing, and the beautiful, grainy, 70s aesthetic make this one of the most heartwarming and comforting films of the year. It came at a perfect time during the holiday season, and I imagine it will be a future Christmas classic for many households. Definitely try to catch this in theaters while it’s still out there.

Grade: B+/82

“Asteroid City,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” “Talk to Me,” “Beau is Afraid,” and “Theater Camp” Reviews

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Asteroid City

It’s been a while since I’ve disliked a Wes Anderson film. As usual, this film boasted a fantastically stacked cast and had all the promise of being another delightful entry into Anderson’s eclectic portfolio. For some reason, this one did not resonate for me at all. It felt really lifeless, and none of the characters were particularly charming compared to Anderson’s previous films. I also found the setting to be uninteresting. The desert location was a big step down, which is disappointing since Anderson’s film sets generally have very unique production quality. Really not sure what happened with this one, but it was just not for me.

Grade: C/62

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

I’m really happy that animated films are starting to be more diversified in their animation styles. Granted this looks very similar to the Spider-Verse films, it’s still an unconventional style that deserves to be used more and more. I really liked the grimy aesthetic that was fitting for the turtles and NYC, which was easily its greatest strength. The writing and the characters on the other hand, not so much.

Each of the turtles are distinct in their appearances, but their personalities were surprisingly bland. Each of the turtles felt exactly the same, and if I had my eyes closed, I probably couldn’t tell who was who. In this era of films where everyone has to be funny, witty, and dish out quips every other sentence, I feel like a bit of the soul of the turtles has been lost in it all. Growing up being a Ninja Turtles fan through the video games and especially The Secret of the Ooze, I’ve always loved Leonardo and Raphael. In Mutant Mayhem, I actually found Donatello to be the most interesting, and that was mostly because of the voice acting done by Micah Abbey. Don’t get me wrong, all the voice acting in the movie is great, but his was easily the most distinct.

I found the dialogue to be really insufferable and nauseating at times. Maybe it’s because I’m so out of touch with how kids speak nowadays, but every other sentence felt like a pop culture reference. Do kids really talk like that? I felt like it was the studios way of saying “hey look at how in tune with pop culture the turtles are, they’re just like us!” There’s a particular scene where they reference the K-Pop group BTS that almost made me want to get up and leave the theater. Thankfully, the animation style is still great, and I actually really enjoyed the final act. Overall, this is a great step forward for animation and I’m glad that it did well commercially, but I really hope that the next entry is less cringey.

Grade: B/76

Talk to Me

I’ve been very surprised at the commercial success of this film, as it recently overtook Hereditary as the highest grossing A24 horror film of all time. It’s a very impressive directorial debut from the Philippou brothers, formerly of YouTube fame. I’m always thankful that A24 and other studios are starting to give a chance on budding young directors, and more often than not their gambles pay off. As competently made as this film was, I have a really hard time with the trope that’s prevalent in many horror films, of dumb kids doing dumb things, which is essentially what a lot of Talk to Me is about. I will say, that this film writes in one of the best justifications for doing the dumb things that they do, but at the end of the day, it’s still a plot device that I have a hard time buying into. All of the performances are great and I’m very appreciative that the film does not rely on jump scares to deliver its thrills, as it has a heavier emphasis on atmospheric horror.

The ending is intriguing and certainly leaves room open for a sequel, which I’m sure is in the works at this point. The concept of this film definitely has the space to become something more interesting than its initial concept, but I hope that future installment(s) will make the characters a bit more likable and make less stupid decisions.

Grade: B/76

Beau is Afraid

I put this film off for a while because I heard about how divisive it was. I didn’t think I’d like it even though I thought Hereditary was one of the best horror films of all time. Midsommar was a big drop off for me, but once again, I’m very appreciative of A24 letting a director as unhinged as Ari Aster do literally whatever he wants in his third project. Beau is Afraid is insane. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything like it. It’s a mix of Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2, Take Shelter, Coraline, and anything from David Lynch and Charlie Kaufman. When Aster described the film as a horror comedy, it was hard for me to know exactly what to expect, especially because of how terrifying his previous two films were. I gotta say though, going into Beau with those expectations…I actually kind of really liked it?

I will say, the biggest flaw of this film is that it really is too long. I think a big chunk of the second act could be taken out, particularly the forest section. The film starts out really strong, and I think if you go in with the expectation that you really aren’t going to understand what’s going on and just go with it, you will enjoy it a lot. I was in disbelief for most of the film and I just did not bother with trying to interpret what was going on. I just decided to take in the visuals and the fantastic performance from Joaquin Phoenix. Talk about a multi-dimensional actor. Phoenix really is perfect for Ari Aster’s genre of deranged surrealistic horror.

If this film was about an hour shorter, I think I would have genuinely loved this film. It’s too long to keep up its momentum of being incredibly absurd, and loses steam before sweeping you back up in the final act. I still have no idea what the film is about but I have to admit that I liked this way more than I expected to.

Grade: B/80

Theater Camp

You know what’s scarier than surrealistic horror? Theater kids. Are theater kids even real? Sometimes I think to myself that they are as fictional and mythical as a leprechaun or fairy. While I generally don’t care much for films that are centered around theater kids, I have to admit that this film was quite funny. I had a good time with it, even though the pacing was kind of all over the place and honestly didn’t feel like a movie for most of it. I’m sure the fragmented storytelling was a creative choice, but I don’t think it worked particularly well. Maybe it’s to encapsulate the chaos of running a theater camp and the creative writing process in general, but it was difficult to feel invested in any of the characters because you’re introduced to so many of them at a time and they kind of just pop in and out of the story. I pretty much only watched this film because I had to support the actors from The Bear, Molly Gordon and Ayo Edibiri. For those of you who don’t watch The Bear, you definitely should. It’s a really awesome show. Gordon plays a totally different kind of character in this film though, and Edibiri is barely in it, unfortunately. This would have been a far worse film had it not been for the ending, because the ending completely saves it. Long live theater kids! Bleh.

Grade: B/77

“The Artifice Girl,” “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” “Sisu,” and “Reality” Reviews

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The Artifice Girl

The Artifice Girl is a fascinating indie sci-fi film along the same vein as Ex Machina and Coherence. The entire film takes place across three acts, entirely dialogue based. While there may not be any flashy special effects, the subject matter of the film is more than enough to tell a gripping story for its entire runtime. Director and writer Franklin Ritch crafts something special, and real timely here. His performance as Gareth was great too. I think the film loses a lot of steam in the third act, when it becomes a bit too exposition-heavy and could have benefitted from showing more instead of telling. However, that doeesn’t take away from the fact that the first 2/3rds are some of the best sci-fi filmmaking out there.The less you know about this film, the better.

Grade: B/79

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

I’ve never really had interest in D&D, but I watched this because a friend really wanted to see it. It was fine! It doesn’t take itself very seriously, although at times I felt like that was a bit to the detriment of the film. A lot of seemingly daunting tasks get solved with a simple “just have this item” plot device, but the whimsical and fun tone of the film carry you from scene to scene without making it too big of a deal. I’m generally not a fan of the “quippy” humor that movies from the MCU love to overdo, but I gotta say, some of the quips in this film got me. Overall, this is a pretty inoffensive film and just a fun 2 hour adventure to catch.

Grade: B/76

Sisu

The latest entry in the “From someone who was loosely involved with one of the John Wick movies” Cinematic Universe, Sisu may just be the worst out of them all. All of the Wick movies have an element of absurdity, but it’s usually the perfect amount where you’re able to not only stomach it, but enjoy it. Sisu is ridiculously over the top. It is the Fast and Furious version of John Wick. Some people may find that more appealing, but it was pretty off-putting for me. Some of the action sequences are wonderfully choreographed and shot, but there are times that you have to suspend your disbelief to incredible lengths. In comparison to the other Wick universe films, they’re all grounded in reality and most of the crazy moments have a little bit of reasoning behind them. Sisu is borderline fantasy and I think it absolutely could have benefitted from scaling back a bit. I still had a fun time watching it, but this film could have been so much better if they had just adjusted the tone and some of the action.

Grade: B-/71

Reality

Similar to The Artifice Girl, this film takes place entirely in one room and is completely dialogue driven. Based on the true interrogation recordings of American Intelligence officer Reality Winner (yes, that is her real name), almost if not all of the dialogue is a 1:1 transcription of what actually happened. Winner, played by Sydney Sweeney, is impressive! I’ve never seen any of her work, although I see pictures of her everywhere since Hollywood is crowning her as the new it girl. I was thoroughly surprised by her performance, and I’m glad that she is a solid actor instead of just another thirst trap. The movie does take a little bit of time to pick up steam, but once the interrogation really starts, it becomes a white-knuckled thiller. Films like this and The Artifice Girl truly are proof that dialogue is essential to a good film. Please Hollywood producers…do the right thing and pay your freakin writers!!!

Grade: B/80

“Infinity Pool,” Alice, Darling,” “EO,” “Women Talking,” “Close,” and “Creed III” Reviews

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Back so soon with another batch of reviews! The Oscars are rolling around and as always, I want to watch everything I wanted to see from the previous year before then so I can release my Top 10 Movies of 2022. With this list of films, I’ve crossed off everything I wanted to see so you can expect that post to come out sometime this week. Let’s get into it.

Infinity Pool

Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor was my favorite film of 2020. It was deeply disturbing and I might not ever watch it again, but the concept behind the film along with the fantastic direction made it one of the most surprising watches that year, especially since I’ve never really been into any films from the Cronenberg family. Cut to two years later, and I have a morbid curiosity for Infinity Pool. Well, similar to Florian Zeller’s garbage fire of a sophomore effort in The Son, this film was also a big dud for me.

Possessor had a fantastic concept with an intriguing narrative to bolster that concept. Infinity Pool starts out with a somewhat interesting premise, and then it quickly devolves into fetishistic indulgence for the next 90 minutes. There’s very little to take away from this film, and it just felt like Brandon Cronenberg’s outlet to get some weird stuff out from his mind and onto film. I know that Mia Goth is having quite a bit of a renaissance year now, especially with X and Pearl, but I think I’ve seen enough movies of hers to know that the stuff she usually signs up for is not my cup of tea. This is no exception. I think she serves her part in this film fine, and Alexander Skarsgard is good too, but I’m really just not up for films that have a 6 minute orgy scene along with some other debaucherous and cruel stuff. Overall it’s a pretty well directed film, and Cronenberg shows definitive proof that he is capable of producing some cult classics just like his father, but this one just felt aimless and not for me.

Grade: D+/55

Alice, Darling

I’ve been a fan of Anna Kendrick since seeing Up in the Air and I’ll happily admit that Pitch Perfect is a guilty pleasure for me, but she has not been in anything good for many years now. I was excited to see that she’s been signing up for more dramatic roles, because I think she’s more than capable of turning in a strong dramatic performance. Alice, Darling doesn’t quite reach the heights that it aims to be at, but it was a step in the right direction.

Films about abuse are always hard, because it’s a difficult subject and yet it has to be engaging which almost makes it contradictory to sell that message in a film. I felt like director Mary Nighy’s portrayal of abuse through the eyes of Alice was more reductive than it was eye-opening, due to the repetitive scenes and uneven pacing. Even for a film that’s just 90 minutes, it felt long and dragged throughout. The parts that shine the most are when Alice’s friends, played by Wunmi Mosaku and Kaniehtiio Horn, do their best to break through to Alice. It reinforces the importance of having a community and a support group when you go through tough times, and those parts felt very real. However, there isn’t enough of it and the film spends more time on Alice cycling through the same stages of denial and grief. Its understandable that the repetitive nature of this film was intentional to highlight the cyclical pain of abuse, but it just did not make for a compelling watch. I do hope that Kendrick continues to take on more challenging roles, because she’s certainly more than just a comedic actor with a good voice.

Grade: B-/71

EO

This was quite a perplexing film. I’m a bit surprised as to how this got a nomination for Best International Film at the Oscars. It’s not terrible by any means, but it’s just…odd? I think your mileage may vary depending on how much you really love animals. EO is sort of like Homeward Bound, except Eo the donkey doesn’t talk, and there’s some grim stuff in here. The cinematography is stunning and really reminiscent of Terrence Malick’s work, which was completely unexpected. But, similar to Alice, Darling, even this 90-minute movie felt waaay too long. I think the message that EO tries to tell could have been accomplished in about half the runtime. I was quite impressed with the overall filmmaking though, and I kept thinking that the blocking in this movie must’ve been a nightmare. Eo is a very adorable donkey, but this was certainly a strange one.

Grade: B-/71

Women Talking

On paper, I really liked the concept and structure of this film. 12 Angry Men is in my top 10 movies of all time, so when I heard that Women Talking was literally about a bunch of women sitting in a room discussing difficult subjects that will determine the fate of their lives, it got my attention.

For some background, this film is about an isolated religious colony living in the year 2010. The women have suffered sexual abuse from the men and the men have used religious practices as their reasoning behind the rapes and tragedies the women have had to endure. Due to a tragic event with one of the main characters, the women decide whether they should forgive their enemies or leave once and for all.

I think this film tackles religion quite tactfully and much better than other hit pieces on sects of Christianity. As a Christian myself, it’s always painful to see something you believe in misrepresented in film. However, it is important to see different viewpoints on how people perceive Christianity, whether that be the people within the film or the people producing the film. In this regard, I think Women Talking is quite admirable because it’s not so quick to point the finger at Christianity for all the evils in the world, rather the evil that can originate from power structures that can grow from Christianity.

For a group of women who supposedly cannot read and have lived in an isolated religious colony their whole life, a lot of the dialogue certainly does not sound that way. Now, I do not mean that they should sound uneducated or stupid, because plenty of people with their background are capable of being wise. But I was really hung up on the majority of the dialogue because it took me out of the film. The discourse sounded like Twitter from 2020, with a lot of buzz words and talking points that we would use in a modernized society. There was very little use of scripture or faith-based reasoning in their arguments, and I think that would have been a much more compelling watch if they used the very words from the Bible to challenge the Biblical justifications that their abusers used in hurting them. Instead, you get dialogue that could have come from someone who didn’t live in an isolated religious colony for all of the characters involved. All the performances were great here, and I especially enjoyed Rooney Mara and Ben Whishaw, but the overall execution just didn’t meet my expectations.

Grade: B-/72

Close

Close is a film that is difficult to review. A lot of its impact hinges on whether or not you can buy into the turning point around halfway through the film, but to me it felt slightly manipulative and unearned. The child performances from both Eden Dambrine and Gustave De Waele are fantastic (boy, there have been a lot of really great child performances this year), but the strong first half of the film leads to a repetitive and meandering second half that prevents it from being a truly excellent film. There’s a lot of subtext to dissect in this film because a lot of it is spoken through its silence, which I thought was great. However, it tackles difficult subjects like guilt and separation, and some of it I think could have been better with dialogue. Close also has a moving soundtrack, and I think the music does too much heavy lifting to really get you to feel the way the film wants you to feel. For the story that Close is telling, I don’t think that’s a good thing. The movie was quietly affecting and powerful in some ways, but I think it could have been so much better if they had reworked the second half and spent it more on developing some other characters instead of the main character the whole time.

Grade: B/78

Creed III

Jonathan Majors is a very muscular and beautiful man. He’s also a wonderful actor and I’ve been rooting for him ever since he delievered a show-stealing performance in The Last Black Man in San Francisco. This film was a fun watch, and a competently directed debut for Michael B. Jordan. I love that he loves anime, and that you can see small homages to the medium in Creed III. However, similar to the previous film, Creed III struggles to meet the same standard of the first film and rushes a interesting plotline resulting in a very predictable film.

I don’t think any of these movies are really ever going to be unpredictable going forward, so it’s really up to the characters and their relationships to elevate the films. Jonathan Majors is obviously great here, and his character is a focal point in Adonis Creed’s life. It starts out pretty interesting, but quickly devolves into a very tropey narrative where character motivations rapidly change for no good reason. I wanted a bit more character development from Majors’s character, especially with how he fits into the overall journey that Creed goes on, but in the end he feels more of a vehicle that services the plot to get from point A to point B. Obviously the montages are great though, and the boxing scenes are electric as always. In the end, this film was very entertaining, and overall I think the Creed Trilogy is something that I never thought could be as good as it is, but I’m glad that we have it.

Grade: B/79

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Babylon,” “The Son,” “Empire of Light,” “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” and “To Leslie” Reviews

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All Quiet on the Western Front

The German film that’s most likely going to win the Oscar for Best International Feature has a lot going for it. This film is breathtaking to look at, one of the best looking films of 2022. Its beautiful cinematography contrasted with the cruelty of World War I was certainly intentional, and it rarely pulls any of its punches on the brutality of trench warfare. All Quiet on the Western Front is not an easy watch, and it might not even be a satisfying watch. However, it’s powerful in the message that it wants to convey, thanks in large part to first time actor Felix Kammerer. This film has drawn many comparisons to 1917, and rightly so. However, this film takes less of a personal approach to its characters and focuses a bit more on the overall war effort, which made me less attached to those involved. It doesn’t hit as hard as the end of 1917, but this is easily the best war film since.

Grade: B+/81

Babylon

Damien Chazelle has not missed…until now. By no means did I hate this movie, but it was everything that had I read about: excessive, debaucherous, and aimless. There’s no denying that the production value is phenomenal here. There are actually quite a few scenes that gave me flashes of Chazelle’s previous masterworks, notably the “Hello, college!” scene being heavily reminiscent of Whiplash. I think I went into this knowing that I wasn’t going to love it, so I wasn’t really disappointed. Margot Robbie really tries her hardest to save this movie, and gives an admirable performance. There was just something a bit off about the writing in this one though, almost like it was trying too hard to sell the wild era of 1920s LA. It definitely won’t be something I watch again, but objectively speaking there’s some real good stuff here. In many ways its a companion piece to Whiplash and La La Land and rounds out the “Tortured Artist” trilogy.

Grade: B-/72

The Son

Okay, WTF happened here? 2020’s The Father was one of the best movies I saw that year. Florian Zeller’s sophomore effort is an absolute flop. While the former deals with the pain of loved ones growing old, The Son deals with young ones struggling with depression, and it could not have been approached in a more tone-deaf manner. Sorry to Zen McGrath, but he easily gives the worst performance that I’ve seen in 2022. The writing did no one in this film any favors. When you have big name actors like Laura Dern and Hugh Jackman trying their best and the dialogue still comes out laughable, you know it’s a movie that can’t be saved. The film feels less about depression, and more like dealing with someone who struggles with depression. There were so many repetitive scenes of McGrath feeling sad, followed by Jackman saying something along the lines of “what’s wrong with you, how come you feel this way?” The dialogue seemed like it was written for a high school PSA about mental health. If White Noise did not exist, then this would definitely be the worst movie I saw from 2022.

Grade: D+/54

Empire of Light

Similar to Babylon, this was another one of those films from a director I really like but the end result was a mixed bag. I absolutely adore Olivia Colman, but I think Sam Mendes’s writing lets her down here. This film reminded me a bit of David O. Russell’s Amsterdam in that it feels like four movies mashed into one. You have a film that talks about an unlikely romance, the universal and uniting power of cinema, and racism and mental health. The pacing sort of moves from one theme to the next and abandons its message each time. I quite enjoyed Micheal Ward and Colman’s performances, even if the script they were working with wasn’t up to snuff. Roger Deakins does no wrong here though, because this film looks immaculate. I also really loved the score, which makes it all the more disappointing that this movie wasn’t as big of a hit as I had wished.

Grade: C+/68

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Alright, color me surprised…very, very, surprised. I did not expect to enjoy this film as much as I did. When I saw all of the buzz that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was getting, I just assumed it was one of those films that people wanted to love for the meme value of it all. However, this is a fantastic animated film similar to the likes of Into the Spider-Verse.

I grew up watching the Shrek movies and think that they’re fine, but I was never really interested in their characters or world. This movie makes the most of the world they’ve created, and the result is a really fun film that is way better than it has any right to be. My favorite part is definitely the Wolf played by Wagner Moura. All of his scenes versus Puss in Boots were fantastic, worthy to be in the conversation of all the best animated movie fight scenes. While the story isn’t anything amazing, I think it’s perfectly fitting for the character of Puss in Boots and the world he inhabits, which was more than enough for me. I’m curious to see if they will continue with these movies because…I’d be pretty down for another one.

Grade: B+/81

To Leslie

If you haven’t heard of this film, it’s okay, most people havent. It barely made any money, and the only reason it popped up on peoples’ radar is because Andrea Riseborough was nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars. Some have gone out of their way to start a smear campaign against Riseborough and alleged that she got cozy with the right people to get a nomination. After watching the movie, I don’t think there’s any controversy here: Riseborough gives a compelling performance worthy of an Oscar nomination.

I found the first half of this film a bit of a slog, mainly due to its repetitive nature and slow pace. However, the second half introduces some key characters that caused me to be way more invested in the overall plot. This is definitely one of those films that your dad will probably enjoy, because it’s a bit predictable but is still engaging enough to leave you satisfied. Riseborough bares it all and delivers a really raw and vulnerable performance that is unquestionably affecting. Seeing as how the last movie I saw her in was in the amazing but horrifying Possessor, I think she likes to challenge herself with difficult roles. What she does here in To Leslie deserves nothing but admiration, even if the movie is unable to fully match her brilliance.

Grade: B/78

“The Quiet Girl,” “Argentina, 1985,” “White Noise,” and “The Pale Blue Eye” Reviews

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Happy New Year, everyone! I didn’t realize it’s been over a month since I last wrote reviews, so I hope everyone had a safe holiday weekend. Let’s get into some reviews.

The Quiet Girl

The Quiet Girl rounds out what I have officially dubbed “The Celtic Depression Trilogy” including the likes of The Banshees of Inisherin and Aftersun. Yes all three of those may make you very sad, but one thing they have in common is that they are all very, very, very good.

The Quiet Girl reminds me a lot of Paweł Pawlikowski’s films; the aspect ratio, the still shots, the patient pacing are all here. There’s a lot of visual storytelling and emotional subtext here, but you’re never bored because of the beautiful and tender performances from the cast. I was so glad to see this film get an Oscar nomination, because it’s totally well deserved. About halfway through the film, you get an idea as to what the rest of the movie is about. However, it still won’t prepare you for all the feels you’ll get in the ending. I loved this movie, I love the Irish language, I love the Celtic Depression Trilogy. May every year have a CDT, even if my heart can’t handle it.

Grade: B+/85

Argentina, 1985

Courtroom dramas are always a hard sell for me. Essentially, if a courtroom drama film is made for wide audiences to watch, then we most likely know that the case being highlighted goes in favor of the “good guys.” While this may not always be the case, I think they account for most of these movies, otherwise why make them and make everyone depressed about the legal system?

Knowing how a movie ends takes away a lot of the tension and investment for me. However, there are always exceptions. 12 Angry Men is in my top ten favorite films of all time. The script, the direction, and the performances are all perfectly harmonized, resulting in one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces. The film has you rooting for Juror #8 so hard that you’re scared of what’ll happen if he loses. With that being said, one of the secret sauces to a great courtroom drama are the performances, and there are many performers in Argentina, 1985. I think the movie is at its best when it’s involving the entire legal team working together and building the case set up in the film, but unfortunately it doesn’t spend that much time on it. A lot of the time is spent (quite repetitively, I might add) with testimonies that highlight the atrocities of the Argentinian military. I get that it’s important to highlight these real life events, but seeing testimony after testimony felt more like the movie was directly lecturing me as opposed to telling a story.

I really was not feeling this movie for most of it, until the end. I have to give credit where credit is due; Julio César Strassera’s closing statement is one of the best courtroom drama scenes ever.

Grade: B/76

White Noise

I’m just gonna get right into it: I freakin’ HATED this movie. White Noise was known as one of the most unadaptable novels, and after seeing the film I can see why. I hated almost everything about this movie, which is a shame because I’m a big fan of Adam Driver, and especially Greta Gerwig.

Noah Baumbach films are such a mixed bag. I really enjoyed Frances Ha, disliked The Meyerowitz Stories, adored Marriage Story, and hated The Squid and the Whale. I absolutely abhor this movie. Everyone talks like they’re a first year student at a pretentious theater school. The dialogue was aggressively cringe-inducing to my ears. The story goes nowhere. The themes gave me zero insight and I felt that the experience of watching this was as meaningless as the story it was trying to tell. The moment in the beginning where all the members of the family are talking over breakfast, I knew that I was in for a painful ride. The only reason I didn’t grade this lower was because it is a objectively competently directed, edited and shot film. I think I’ll still watch Noah Baumbach movies in the future because I know how he’s capable of making amazing films, but this one definitely gave me trust issues. Easily my least favorite film of the year.

Grade: D+/52

The Pale Blue Eye

I watched this film with expectations that it wasn’t going to be that great, based on the reviews that I saw, so I pretty much got what I wanted out of it. Christian Bale is great here as always, and I think he’s one of the few stars left in Hollywood who can carry a film and make it better than it actually is (see my review for Amsterdam). However, Harry Melling is surprisingly great here as well. His performance as Edgar Allan Poe is very captivating, mostly due to his Benoit Blanc-esque accent that is infinitely fun to imitate. Aside from that, this film has great atmosphere and I would agree with many people who have called this, quite literally, a very cold movie. Definitely had to bundle up watching this one.

I can see why reviews weren’t so hot on this film overall though, because the mystery is intriguing but doesn’t build up to much. On top of that, the finale goes in a very bold direction that I have to admire, even though I didn’t think it worked at all. The more I thought about the ending, the more I felt like it didn’t make sense and was a sort of betrayal of the first 3/4ths of the film. Still, I can’t say I expected it in the slightest. Christian Bale is one of the very few actors I’ll watch mediocre movies for, simply based on his performance and presence. This one was no exception.

Grade: B-/71

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” “The Fabelmans,” “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio,” “Bones and All,” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” Reviews

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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

I got to watch this movie when it was in theaters for a week, just so I could vote with my wallet and let Netflix know that movies of this quality should definitely go to theaters first before streaming. This movie was a lot of fun. Don’t believe everything you hear though, initial reactions to this film was that it’s bigger and better than the first film in every way. I think the first Knives Out is way better than Glass Onion, but this movie was still one of the best films of the year and scratched my very specific itch for a whodunit mystery film.

Obviously Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc is the star here, and with each passing movie you can tell that he’s just having a ton of fun and enjoying his time on this franchise as opposed to being stressed out during his tenure as Bond. I selfishly would want Rian Johnson to make these kinds of movies with Daniel Craig forever, just put Blanc in a new setting with a new cast of characters every time. Speaking of the characters, part of the reason I felt the first cast was better was because the cast of Glass Onion, while quite great, is absolutely nowhere near as interesting as the first film. Aside from the fantastic Janelle Monae, most of the characters in this movie feel a bit more like caricatures of character archetypes, and sometimes felt a bit too over the top. I found Kate Hudson’s character to be quite grating at times, along with Dave Bautista’s. Overall, the unconventional way that this film’s mysteries reveal itself is fantastic, and just a whole lot of fun that I expect many people will enjoy when it comes to streaming in a few days.

Grade: B+/81

The Fabelmans

I was so confident that I was going to love this movie. Spielberg making a movie about his own childhood and what led him to becoming one of the greatest directors of all time? Sign me the heck up. But then about an hour into the movie, I started coming to grips with the fact that I was not on this movie’s wavelength at all.

The Fabelmans follows Sammy Fabelman as Spielberg’s fictional version of himself and his family. As his dad’s career as an engineer takes him throughout the US we see snippets of Sammy’s life and how film impacted him. There are a lot of things that happen in this movie, and oftentimes the events didn’t follow a very cohesive narrative but rather felt put together just because they were important moments in Spielberg’s life. My biggest hang-up with the film was that I did not resonate with any of the emotional moments in the film. There were so many times in the film when something happened and I thought the characters were going to react one way, but they have a completely opposite direction. I also felt like Sammy’s mom, played by Michelle Williams, felt too much like some sort of unrealistic fairy-like character, and not a real human being. The foundation of the movie is centered around Sammy’s relationship with his mother too, so it didn’t help that all of their emotional moments did not land for me.

One delightful surprise was seeing Paul Dano play someone who isn’t despicable or punchable. He’s so good at playing those types of roles, but it was really nice to see him play a warm and pleasant character for once. I thought him and Gabrielle LaBelle, who plays Sammy, were the best actors in the film. I have no doubt LaBelle will become a bigger name in the future based on his great performance in this film. Judd Hirsch also briefly appears and is part of the best scene in the movie, but then disappears and never comes back. It felt like Ana de Armas’s character in No Time to Die, where I wanted more of his character and was disappointed that I didn’t get any more.

While most of the performances were good, another part that I had a hard time enjoying was just how some of the more serious themes like antisemitism and Christianity were portrayed. They felt very much from a 90s after-school special, just really on the nose and without much nuance. It’s possible that those events may have been exactly the way it was in Spielberg’s life, but I think they could have been altered to feel more authentic.

I’m definitely in the minority on this one because I think most people I’ve talked to have absolutely adored this film, but I just couldn’t get into it.

Grade: B-/73

Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio

Stop motion animation is such a monumentally difficult and tedious form of animation that I can’t help but respect every movie that decides to take on this endeavor. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio has fantastic animation, and you can tell a lot of work was put into not only the animation but all of the background sets and the world that you’re pulled into. Coupled with music from Alexandre Desplat, this film did a great job of immersing you in its world. However, no matter how good everything is, the story of Pinocchio has never been that interesting to me, and Del Toro’s version is probably the best that it could have been to get me into the story. At the end of the day, Pinocchio is still an annoying brat. There’s not much you can change about that. Any time Pinocchio got in trouble, I just laughed. Even though I was not invested in what happens to him or with the characters, it was still a visual marvel and should definitely be checked out by fans of stop motion animation.

Grade: B/76

Bones and All

This was my first Luca Guadagnino film, and I was a bit intimidated to watch this. Pretty much the only reason I watched this was because I love Timothee Chalamet. And yeah…as much as I love Timothee, I do sort of regret watching this. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to respect and admire about this film. The cinematography is fantastic, and the performances from Chalamet and Taylor Russell were both excellent. However, this just isn’t my type of movie. The content felt unnecessarily shocking and disgusting, but I knew that going into it. What should I have expected from a movie that’s being marketed as a young adult cannibalistic romance road trip film? There are some interesting concepts that the film explores, but at the end of the day I felt like it didn’t amount to much and the performances were far greater than the actual script. A lot of moments felt like they were just in there for shock value and yeah, it did nothing for me. I will continue to keep an eye out for future Guadagnino films, hoping that eventually I can watch one that will be more…accessible.

Grade: C/63

Avatar: The Way of Water

I’ll be honest, I was a bit skeptical about how good this film could really look. I rewatched the first Avatar film and found a lot of the visuals to be outdated and jarring. It’s been over a decade since we’ve seen something from legendary director James Cameron, and I was only half excited to see The Way of Water. To me, Avatar is easily my least favorite film from him. The movie is just space Pocohontas, and does little to tell a noteworthy story other than introduce some interesting sci-fi ideas. However, history told me to never bet against Cameron, ESPECIALLY with sequels.

After watching The Way of Water last night, I came to the conclusion that, well…maybe you can bet a little bit against him.

First things first: the visuals are actually incredible. Seeing as how Cameron spent so many years waiting for the technology to be capable of telling his story, I felt like that aspect definitely exceeded expectations. This is a visually dazzling and engrossing piece, and that’s coming from someone who isn’t really a fan of CGI. I knew that if there was anyone who could pull off fantastic CGI, it’d be Cameron. There’s a lot to enjoy here, for sure.

Not only are the visual effects fantastic, the action is up there as well. I think nowadays it’s really hard to create interesting action sequences when everything is done digitally, but this one looks beautiful and thanks to Cameron’s direction, it’s just a feast for the eyes.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the story and the characters, it’s almost the exact same as the first. I was shocked at how little the film’s narrative actually shifts in any sort of meaningful direction. There are moments where it’s almost the exact same as the first, and honestly dragged quite a bit. I think so much of the time was spent on the visuals, that they forgot to write better characters and story. Speaking of the characters, there are way too many new additions. Cameron is ambitious in making this a really big franchise, and in this regard I think he overextends his reach a bit. There are so many storylines going on at once, and almost none of them feel genuinely compelling save for maybe one. A lot of the story beats are recycled, so you’re really just watching it for the fantastic visual effects.

If the story was elevated just a slight touch, this could have been a great film, but it’ll have to settle for just being a good one. I really hope that Cameron mixes it up a bit and tells more interesting stories in the future movies, since we’re Cameron is going to be in this for the long haul, for better or for worse.

Grade: B/80

“See How They Run,” “Mama Boy,” “Don’t Worry, Darling,” “Amsterdam,” and “Aftersun” Reviews

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Hope all you Americans were able to enjoy time with your family and/or significant others and enjoy good food. For those who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, hope you’ve been watching good movies during this packed fall season!

See How They Run

A perfectly harmless and fun whodunit film. I didn’t have many expectations going into this one since I didn’t really see anyone raving about this, but it was totally fine. It’s very self-aware of the genre this film is in, and the actors giving perfectly enjoyable performances. I really do enjoy Saoirse Ronan in just about everything she does, and I hope that she continues to play more comedic roles in the future. She is so talented at both ends of the spectrum, and is clearly the best part of this film. Sam Rockwell plays a sleepy Englishman quite well, and has solid chemistry alongside Ronan. Even though this doesn’t do anything new for the genre, it’s nice to see more whodunit films in general.

Grade: B/76

Mama Boy

Arvin Chen is a refreshing breath of fresh air whose films such as Au Revoir, Taipei and Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? inject a perfect amount of levity without sacrificing the emotional weight at its core. His newest film, Mama Boy, is no exception. I think in the hands of an American director, this film would have been much more sensual and explicit given the plot. A young and shy man falls in love with the matron of a brothel about twice his age? Yeah, that’s most likely a hard R. Not with Chen however, as he tells a surprisingly heartwarming story about being comfortable in your own skin, and finding worth in broken people. Vivian Hsu is fantastic as the leading lady, effortlessly charming even though she comes off as indifferent and careless. I don’t watch many Taiwanese films, but I think Chen is one of the most fascinating directors operating in this space today.

Grade: B+/81

Don’t Worry, Darling

If you follow movie news at all, or celebrity news, you’ve probably heard a little bit about the behind the scenes drama of Don’t Worry, Darling. Unfortunately, the drama behind this film was far more interesting than the film itself. I had high hopes for this film since I quite enjoyed Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut in Booksmart, but this was an absolute mess. The only person who pulled her own weight (and more) was Florence Pugh, who tries her absolute hardest to salvage this disaster. Aside from the wonky pacing in the film and a self-important script, the film has a very lackluster and overdone mystery that tries to make itself way more important than it really is. On top of all that, the ending tries to throw in a “powerful message” that sort of comes out of nowhere and is completely unearned. Poor Flo, you truly deserved better.

Grade: C-/59

Amsterdam

Another critically panned film from a big name director in Hollywood this year, David O. Russell’s Amsterdam was a star-studded dud for most viewers, but I actually found it to be quite enjoyable. I would agree that the film does squander the incredible level of star-power here, but at the end of the day it is still an enjoyable mystery. My biggest criticism with the film is that it feels like three movies that got melded into one. I was not able to fully understand where the movie was going until about halfway through, because it tries to be a lot of genres at the same time. On top of that, the ending is also quite over-explanatory as it’s kind of just a massive exposition dump that serves to connect all the dots from the first half of the film. Even though what I’m saying makes it sound like a terrible movie, Christian Bale absolutely saves it here. His performance is wonderful and charming, and should belong in a Wes Anderson film. Everyone else is pretty good too, like Margot Robbie and Robert De Niro, but Bale clearly out-acts everyone here and it’s not even close. I very much enjoyed his performance and wished for his sake it was more competently put together.

Grade: B/77

Aftersun

I’ve spoken about my adoration for A24 ad nauseam, so I won’t repeat myself here. After years and years of gushing over films from this esteemed company…I think Aftersun might be my favorite of theirs so far.

This film broke me and literally left me shaking when it cut to credits. What a way for Charlotte Wells to announce herself to the world with this directorial debut. Exploring memories through the nostalgic lens of home videos, this film didn’t feel like it a film. It felt like a memory that I never really had, even though I knew the exact feeling that this movie was giving me. The relationship between father (Paul Mescal) and daughter (Frankie Corio) was so perfect and believable, it honestly did not feel like a movie half the time. I cannot believe this was Corio’s first acting gig ever. She delivers one of the greatest child performances and I’m so excited to see what else she works on. The same praise goes to Mescal, who is stellar in this. Wells’s direction for this movie says so much in so few words, perfectly relaying all of the details and emotions that we should feel through the visuals. Watching this made me want to try hard to be a better person and to treat those that I love with even more love than ever. Films like this remind me of the beauty of this medium of art, because on the one hand you have brilliant blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick and deeply emotionally resonant pieces like Aftersun. While I do have some minor gripes with some aspects of the film that would be spoilery, I’m most likely going to give this a higher grade after I rewatch it eventually and think about it some more. This film was such an unexpected delight and I’m so glad I watched this. One of the best of the year, easily.

Grade: A-/90

“Bullet Train,” “The Black Phone,” “Tar,” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” Reviews

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Bullet Train

I deeply enjoy Brad Pitt films when he doesn’t take himself too seriously, because he’s that kind of guy who can do both comedic and serious really well. However, the writer and director of this film didn’t take anything very seriously either, and the result is a bit of a muddled mess.

Films like this nowadays are always marketed as “From the guy who did that one thing in one of the John Wick movies” to lend a sort of credibility to the movie, and it may have worked the first two or three times, but now it’s kind of bland. Nothing about this film was particularly outstanding. There was an obvious approach to have the film modeled after Tarantino or Guy Ritchie’s films, with the snappy dialogue mixed in with frenetic action. However, most of it fell flat for me. None of the performances felt particularly memorable, with Pitt being the one small exception, but even he couldn’t save this movie.

The action is decent, but honestly at this point, there are so many dull action films of this caliber. The story also didn’t lend too much to the overall experience as it was filled with a bunch of flashbacks that didn’t really amount to anything. As Pitt is entering the twilight of his career, I hope that he can find more meaningful projects. Even if they are light hearted action films, I hope he can find more competently made ones as opposed to ones that are OK but forgetful like this one.

Grade: C/61

The Black Phone

Blumhouse Productions, while similar to A24, is a bit more of a mixed bag in terms of the content they put out. The Black Phone is no exception. This had an interesting premise, but ultimately failed to deliver on anything interesting. A lot of the most important plot points rely on the simple-mindedness of its characters, and you reaallly have to suspend your disbelief for this film. I do enjoy that the film is more atmospheric in its horror and has one jump scare that really took me by surprise, but for the most part it aims to make the setting speak for itself more than trying to spook you with cheap jump scares.

While we shouldn’t hold child actors to the same standard as adults who have been working in the industry for longer, I do feel like there’s a wealth of young talent out there. However, they certainly weren’t in this film. I was kind of surprised by the acting in this movie compared to most movies nowadays with younger teenagers. Ethan Hawke looks like he’s having a lot of fun in this movie, so his presence was definitely a plus, but there was only so much of him to really carry the film. Overall the film had promise to it, but it ended up just being kind of meh.

Grade: C/62

Tar

Cate Blanchett might win her third Oscar this year for her performance in Tar, which I found to be her best performance to date. This film is a great experience if you don’t know too much about it. To be honest, the first third of the film moves at an almost unbearably glacial pace, but once the mysteries lurking in the shadows finally come to light, that’s when things get really, really interesting. The final act of the movie has so many things going on that you’re left wondering what you saw, and it ends with an incredibly surprising ending for people who may be fans of a certain Japanese franchise.

In hindsight, there’s a thought-out reason behind the slow pace in the beginning. It builds up Blanchett’s character, so that you can see how drastically she changes as the film progresses into more its more ominous narrative. Even though the film itself is about a world-famous composer and there are numerous scenes of Blanchett conducting an orchestra, I really wanted to hear more of the music. Hearing the orchestral pieces in a big theater sounded amazing, but for the purposes of the film, it’s not really something that’s emphasized. Regardless, the way that the film handles its character development is fascinating, and also in its commentary about prevalent issues today. I recently watched Michael Haneke’s The Piano Teacher, and there are quite a few similarities between the two movies, although it’s not as perverse as that film. Tar may not be for all audiences, but the gradual unfolding of the film’s mysteries made it for one of the most fascinating movies of 2022.

Grade: B+/82

The Banshees of Inisherin

Martin McDonagh hasn’t always been a director/writer that I’ve appreciated, but in recent years I’ve come to really enjoy his work. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was a film that I detested in the first half, and then absolutely fell in love with in the second half. The Banshees of Inisherin, or the name I prefer to call it, In Bruges 2, is one of the best films of the year. However, if you’re not completely into dark humor then I wouldn’t say it’s for you. McDonagh’s films have a perversely warm feeling in its crudeness and darkness, which is honestly quite odd when I think about it. However, this film has some of the funniest dialogue I’ve seen in recent years, but beyond that the film is a truly heartbreaking tale about friends who break up.

It’s very possible that Colin Farrell is a frontrunner for the Oscar this year as well, as I think this is his best performance to date. There’s a vulnerability to his character that I’ve never seen in any of his previous films, and he shows his comedic chops once again, sort of similar to his performance in The Lobster. Brendan Gleeson’s performance is much more subdued, but acts as a perfect complement to Farrell’s oafish but lovable character. Not only are the two of these fantastic, but supporting characters Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon are sublime as well. This is easily the best ensemble performance of the year so far. The only films I can foresee maybe topping this is Glass Onion or Babylon.

There’s a LOT of subtext in this film, as it touches on many delicate subjects such as existentialism, personal worth, loneliness, comfort, and male ego. The more I think about this film the more I see the genius behind McDonagh’s writing. On the surface there’s a lot of hilarious dialogue, but there’s also a lot of hidden meaning in what the characters stop short of saying. It also helps that this film has a breathtakingly stunning backdrop as it’s filmed on the shores of the Irish coast, which makes you wonder how anyone could get sick of a magical place like this. Here’s hoping that in another decade or so we’ll revisit the McDonagh/Farrell/Gleeson trio and get In Bruges 3.

Grade: A-/86